mysinglemamadrama-blog

[mysinglemamadrama-blog]

It’s official...I’m addicted to online teaching!

Only online teaching would make me want to stick laminated fruit on my head and dance in my chair like a crazy person. I don’t know what it is, but I can’t even bring myself to take a day off from doing this! I mean, it’s not like I don’t already have enough to do as a single mom and a full-time professional. When Friday rolls around, I’m no longer saying to myself, “Yay, I have two days off from work to sleep in!” It’s more like, “Yay! I can get up at 3am to teach more classes, or even pull an all-nighter!!” 

I swear. these kids that we have the privilege of teaching are like an injection of happy juice. Even though I am exhausted most days and am often in a sleep coma by 8:00 pm, I just can’t get enough of them. I’m constantly looking at my availability schedule and thinking, “I can squeeze in a few more hours.” 🤷‍♀️  

Is something in the water in Gogokid-land?? If so, come join me for a glass of Kool-Aid!

Follow me on my online teaching journey with Gogokid, and all of my Single Mama Drama!

@teacheralisonggk

https://linktr.ee/teacheralisonggk

[mysinglemamadrama-blog]

Practicing self care...it’s a must!

Last month I took a solo trip to Cabo San Lucas. It was absolutely amazing. It may have only been 4 days, but they were filled with whatever it was that I wanted to do. I wasn’t on a schedule, and I had no one to consult with when making plans. I didn’t feel guilty about leaving my kids with my parents or not checking in with them all the time. It was heavenly.

I spent time at the beach, just...well, doing absolutely NOTHING! I dined alone and ordered whatever I wanted. I went to bed by 9:00 pm (sometimes earlier) each night, and I slept with the balcony doors open. I ordered room service and ate cheeseburgers in a fuzzy, white bathrobe in my bed, and I spent an entire afternoon at the spa, feeling free and enjoying a well-deserved massage and facial. 

I also did something that I had not done before on my solo travels. I left the resort! It actually wasn’t a big deal at all. This was my third solo trip, so the first two times were baby steps in a foreign country. This time, I was ready to put on my big girl travel pants and step off of the property.

I booked a few tours, including an Outback safari camel ride, which was a lot of fun. A bit more camel poop than I had expected, but well worth the price of admission. Tour guide was absolutely amazing! The rides were two to a camel, so I was paired up with an older gentleman who was vacationing with his two adult children. We actually had a lovely conversation and his family and I ended up sitting together during the complimentary lunch and tequila sampling. 

I also booked a sunset cruise to see the Arch. The view was beautiful, the food was delicious, the crew was entertaining and quite flirty, and good times were had. I was even adopted by several older couples who were fascinated by the fact that I was traveling alone. We danced, we drank, and we sang. 

Although a brief getaway, Cabo certainly packed a punch. I was able to return to my busy, hectic life feeling guilt-free, restored and renewed...at least for a short while. Barcelona, I see you!

[mysinglemamadrama-blog]

Can I quit my job now?

Forget that I have 2 Master's degrees and a career field that I've been working in for about 15 years, I have puppets to play with!!

I love my field and have worked hard to build a solid reputation and rise to leadership positions. Let’s just say, however, that I’m burned out. By the time I get home, I am mentally and physically exhausted. Most nights, I don't even have the energy to cook dinner for my family. Picking up something on my way home has become the norm.

Surprisingly, Gogokid has changed all of that. I have time built into my day that is just mine. I'm up long before my kids have to get up for school, and certainly before the first sign of life appears on the weekend. This time is like gold for me. It's peaceful and quiet. I enjoy a cup of coffee and catch up on the latest Facebook drama. When I'm with a student, I'm completely in the moment. They get 25 minutes of silliness and laughter. I can let my hair down and be free. When those 25 minutes are up, we say our good-byes and I may or may not see them again. I write a brief evaluation of the class, and it's done. I move onto the next class and do it all over again until my teaching time is complete. It's the time of day that I feel most alive.

That energy, that vibe carries throughout the day and gives me the energy to be a more present parent when I get home. Even though my full-time job used to leave me feeling depleted, now that my day starts out with my energy stores filled, I still have some reserve energy to carry me through.

@teacheralisonggk

https://linktr.ee/teacheralisonggk

[mysinglemamadrama-blog]

The quick and dirty...

Hi, I’m Alison...a 40-something, divorced mom of 3 amazing daughters. Yes, that's me, clinging to Elmo with a mouth full of braces. Way to hold onto my youth, right? I've always looked a bit youthful, but can't say that I've always acted that way. It has been intuitive to act responsibly, to work hard, and to get things done, no matter how exhausted I was. It often meant sacrificing myself. That was until a little over 5 years ago when my ex-husband and I headed to divorce court.

It was a process, but I put myself on the path to rebirth and healing, and I discovered just who I really was. I liked this woman. She was strong, confident, stepped outside of her comfort zone, made time for herself, set goals and worked towards them, let her hair down, and most importantly, did not involve herself in anything that took away from her peace.

It's a daily struggle, which involves ongoing therapy, alone time, travel, self-reflection, and a bit of wine. One unexpected turn on my life journey has also added to my sense of peace, and that was discovery of online ESL teaching. Up until a few months ago, I had not heard of it. I was already a full-time professional, juggling full-custody with finding time for myself and my new love of travel. Why on earth would I add to my already overwhelming schedule? Well...I have debt. I would like to pay off said debt so that more of my income stays with me. I also love to travel, and have been booking several trips a year. In the past few months I’ve been to California, Negril, Puerto Vallarta, Orlando, and Cabo San Lucas. Barcelona is quickly approaching, and a cruise is just a few short months away! That money has to come from somewhere, and that requires additional revenue streams. But I needed something that would not interfere with my day job, and would not take time away from my family.

Enter Gogokid, a fairly new online ESL company based in Beijing, China. I immediately went to YouTube and binge-watched as many videos as I could because I had no earthly idea of what I was getting myself into. "TPR? What the hell is that?" "Okay, so I have to point to my mouth and cup my ear, use props, speak slowly, don't use incidental language, smile, give rewards, and be engaging. Got it!" So whatever I did worked, because they hired me on the spot.

I've now been online teaching since October 2018 and I have fallen in love with it. I begin each morning way before dawn, something that I've actually grown quite fond of, and for 25 minutes at a time, I laugh, I sing, I make silly faces and play with puppets. I connect with children and parents all the way across the world as they invite me into their homes and lives. I see them progress in their learning and understanding of English. I connect with an online community of teachers and peers. It's a passion for something that I had not even known was missing. Now that I've found it, I just want to invest myself into it. And that's what I plan to do. Until next time...

@teacheralisonggk

https://linktr.ee/teacheralisonggk